New York Yankees' Robinson Cano's Poor Performance A Good Thing At Home Run Derby

By kylemassa

Sure, it would’ve been neat to see New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano hit well at the Home Run Derby. He was the captain, after all, and he had an excellent showing last year. Yes, it would’ve been fun. However, I think that it’s actually a good thing that he performed so poorly.

Cano went out in the first round with just four homers. His total was the fewest among any of the participants, one shy of New York Mets third baseman David Wright. No doubt Cano was disappointed by his performance, as were Yankees fans everywhere. But as I said, there’s no need to worry.

It seems that the longer players go into the Derby, the worse their second halves become. Swinging for the fences numerous times in one night undoubtedly ruins some players’ swings. Just look at Bobby Abreu. In 2005, he entered the break with 18 home runs. During the derby, Abreu clubbed 24 homers in one round. Then after the break, he had only six. The same happened with Josh Hamilton in 2008. Pre All-Star break, he had 21 homers. During the Derby, Hamilton smacked 28 home runs, shattering Abreu’s record. But after the All-Star break, he hit only 11 more.

Clearly, going deep into the Home Run Derby messes with a guy’s swing. For this reason, I’m happy that Robinson Cano had such an early exit.